The Cable Car Line Passes to New Owners
The West Street and North End Electric Railway is sold to the Wilous Brothers, who plan immediate modernization.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
At the annual meeting of the stockholders of the West Street and North End Electric Railway Company yesterday, it transpired that the control of its road, better known as the 'Front Street cable line,' has been sold to the Wilous Bros. The price paid has not been made public, but the sale is a very important one; it means the permanent identification with Seattle interests of men of capital and solid business energy. Two of the Wilous Bros., J. M. and F. S., are already well known throughout the Northwest as the men primarily responsible for the development of the Monte Cristo mining district. The third brother, S. C., a more recent arrival, has his business abilities evidenced by his success in California. It is their intention to rebuild the road and make it the best in the city. The management of A. F. Haas has recommended him to the new owners, and he will retain the position of secretary and manager, which he has filled so well during the past two years.
“It is our intention to rebuild the road and make it the best in the city.”
The 'Front Street cable line' was a precursor to the modern transit infrastructure that defined Seattle's rapid expansion in the late 19th century. Today, as Seattle debates light rail expansions and transit-oriented development, the fight to control the city's streets remains a central theme of civic growth.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.